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Several fires were started on the Wits Main campus together with a number of buildings’ windows being shattered on Wednesday night until the early hours of Thursday, allegedly by student protesters.

Rubbish: Concrete bins and rocks were used to shatter windows

Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel says a group of 60 students split into small groups and went around vandalising the property on campus from 9pm to 4am this morning.

Small fires were started outside the Old Mutual Hall, Umthombo Building, DJ Du Plessis Building and the Grand Stand at the Science Stadium. The fires did not spread and appear to have not caused serious damage.

Parts of Central Block was flooded as students left the taps open in the building’s bathrooms.

Patel says that two students were arrested but could not confirm what they have been charged with. Hillbrow police station was not available to comment.

The university has said classes will continue today and students safety is guaranteed.

“We will not be intimidated,” said Patel.

The university campus is quiet this morning with private security and police on standby.

Originally published on Wits Vuvuzela: http://witsvuvuzela.com/2016/10/14/wits-university-lit-overnight/

Protesting students had to abort their plans to march to the Hillbrow police station in solidarity with 31 students who had been arrested earlier today.

The students had gathered at the Wits Education Campus and had said they would go back to the main campus via the Wits Business School and the police station. However, Busisiwe Seabe, one of the protest leaders, told the protesters that the police had threatened to shoot if students moved in one large group. She said the police wanted the students to move in groups of two or else there would be violence.

The police also wanted the students to stay off the main roads but they later authorised the group to move via Empire Road towards the main campus.

Seabe, however, vowed that the protesters would continue to move forward, adding that the leaders could form a chain around other students in order to protect them. “They must shoot us before they shoot you,” she said.

The student leaders requested the media to move to the front in order to allow them to keep students in an organised formation.

The students continued to chant and dance while making their way to the Empire Road entrance in order to continue the shutdown of the Wits Main Campus.

Originally published on Wits Vuvuzela: http://witsvuvuzela.com/2016/09/20/police-thwart-students-plans-to-march-to-police-station/